Australian patent specification No. 249,140 describes a liquid abrasive scouring cleanser composition including finely divided abrasives and water soluble sodium or potassium soaps, such as those derived from tallow, palm oil or coconut oil. There is no disclosure of substantially water-insoluble polyvalent stearate soaps nor is there any disclosure of the effect of these polyvalent metal soaps on the thixotropic properties of the composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,668 describes a stable, false body liquid abrasive scouring cleanser composition utilizing, as a suspending agent, a light particular filler material having a diameter ranging between 1 and 250 microns which aids in maintaining the suspension of the particular abrasive material. A wide range of surfactants are disclosed. However, no water-insoluble polyvalent metal soaps are described.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,027 describes the use of various colloid-forming clays such as attapulgites, smectities and mixtures of these materials. Again, there is no disclosure that water-insoluble polyvalent metal soaps are effective to improve stability of the system.